Somewhere in the middle, she decided. The real truth could generally be found somewhere between two opposing stories.

Phillip didn’t know, she was sure of that now. He had no clue what Gloria had been to Raymond Quinn. When that single fact was added to the mix, how did it change everything else?

“At this point it’s working out. The kid’s happy. Another couple of months and the permanent guardianship should be wrapped. And this big brother stuff has its advantages. Gives me somebody to boss around.”

She needed to think. She had to put emotion aside and think. But she had to get through the evening first. “How does he feel about that?”

“It’s a perfect setup. He can bitch to Cam or Ethan about me, to me about Cam or Ethan. He knows how to play it. Seth’s incredibly smart. They did placement tests when my father enrolled him in school here. He’s practically off the charts. His final report card for last year? Straight A’s.”

“Really?” She found herself smiling. “You’re proud of him.”

“Sure. And me. I’m the one who got roped into being homework monitor. Until recently I’d forgotten how much I hate fractions. Now that I’ve told you my long story, why don’t you tell me what you think of St. Chris?”

“I’m just getting my bearings.”

“Does that mean you’ll be staying a while yet?”

“Yes. A while.”

“You can’t really judge a water town unless you spend some time on the water. Why don’t you go sailing with me tomorrow?”

“Don’t you have to get back to Baltimore?”

“Monday.”

She hesitated, then reminded herself that this was exactly why she was here. If she was to find that real truth, she couldn’t back away now. “I’d like that. I can’t guarantee what kind of sailor I’ll be.”

“We’ll find out. I’ll pick you up. Ten, ten-thirty?”

“That’ll be fine. All of you sail, I imagine.”

“Right down to the dogs.” He laughed at the expression on her face. “We won’t bring them along.”

“I’m not afraid of them. I’m just not used to them.”

“You never had a puppy.”

“No.”

“Cat?”

“No.”

“Goldfish?”

She laughed, shook her head. “No. We moved around quite a bit. Once I had a schoolmate in Boston whose dog had puppies. They were darling.” Odd, she thought, to have remembered that now. She’d wanted one of those pups desperately.

It had been impossible, of course. Antique furniture, important guests, social obligations. Out of the question, her mother had said. And that had been the end of it.

“Now I move around quite a bit. It’s not practical.”

“Where do you like best?” he asked her.

“I’m flexible. Wherever I end up tends to suit me, until I’m somewhere else.”

“So right now it’s St. Chris.”

“Apparently. It’s interesting.” She gazed out the window, where the rising moon glittered light onto the water. “The pace is slow, but it’s not stagnant. The mood varies, as the weather varies. After only a few days, I’m able to separate the natives from the tourists. And the watermen from everyone else.”